Turkey to support SMEs in Bashkiria

During a meeting Friday with the republic’s prime minister, Rafael Baidavletov, tentative agreement was reached on cooperation in the sphere of light industry, with details to be worked out by the respective management teams of Turkish and Bashkiri small and medium businesses. ‘The success of Turkish firms was made possible thanks to the attention they have received from the Bashkiri government. We are counting on our relations developing even further,’ the consul said.

Prime Minister Baidavletov responded by saying that the republic was currently experiencing a veritable construction boom. ‘We have 63 firms operating here with the participation of Turkish capital,’ he said.

According to data, Turkish-Bashkiri relations are evolving on the basis of a series of agreements concluded in 1996 on trade-economic, technical-scientific and cultural cooperation. The capitals of the two republics, Ankara and Ufa, are sister cities. Since 1996, trade between the two countries has grown nearly four-fold, and in 2003 exceeded USD 59 million.

Bashkiria exports to Turkey petroleum products, ferrous metals, plastics and glass.

According to local media reports, Bashkiria plans to open an official representation in Istanbul, and further cooperation is expected in exports of copper, dried and condensed milk, liquors, metal-rolls, wire, sheet and polished glass, petrochemical products, pharmaceuticals and other areas in the near future. In addition, there is a proposal to establish joint companies to manufacture light and wood- and stone-working equipment, agriculture equipment as well as automobiles.